Forum

Sunnyside Recreation would like to thank the Sunnyside Food
Pavilion and the Cinco de Mayo court (Veronica Almeida and Cassandra Romero),
as well as Cindo de Mayo candidates Rosie Lopez, Rosa Picazo, Danielle
Gonzalez, Veronica Romero and Vanessa Morfin, and Easter bunny Lucy Avila, for
their support with this year’s Easter egg hunt event.

Thanks also to Amy Rubio, the acting Cinco de Mayo court
coordinator, for arranging the young ladies’ appearance last Saturday.

Due to the unpredictable weather, we held the Easter egg
hunt inside the community center. It was a great success with more than 150
children participating. We held a drawing for four Easter baskets. Congratulations
to the winners—2-year-old Madison Castaneda, 4-year-old Sofie Salgado,
6-year-old Ruben Vargas and 10-year-old Sandra Acevedo.

This event would not have been possible without the help of
the Sunnyside Food Pavilion. Their generous candy donation and the four large,
beautiful Easter baskets were greatly appreciated. Thank you for all you do in
supporting this community.

I would like to point out to those outside of the Sunnyside
school system who observed the small student immigration protest last Friday in
Sunnyside as to what occurred within the Sunnyside school system.

My hat goes off to the solid pro-active approach taken by
Superintendent Rick Cole and Sunnyside High School Principal Brian Hart. The
controlled, positive interaction between the high school students and the
administration was well received by the majority of the student body and was very
helpful in diffusing a difficult situation.

From my point of view, a pat on the back and a job well done
goes to the Sunnyside school administration.

/s/ Pedro F. Marquez, Sunnyside

Support for bond

I write in support of the Sunnyside School District’s physical
education and athletic bond. I believe in the AAAA philosophy of education for
our children:

• academics

• athletics

• activities

• arts

Without question, the mastery of core academics skills
remains the most essential mission of educating our children. Equally important
are the experiences of practicing citizenship skills that facilitate living and
working within our democracy. Providing our children the best opportunities to
learn core academic skills and practice positive and mutual supportive relationships
is good for our kids and good for our community.

An additional positive factor is the real and quantifiable
economic impact the bond project will have within the community of Sunnyside.
In short, the bond project promotes well rounded student citizens and provides
for a positive economic to our community. The educational and economic benefits
of the bond and the 4A philosophy will be felt in our community, state and
beyond, now and for generations to come.

In response to the letter to the editor written by Nancy
Mendez, I would like to make a few points.

She states that “Americans are free to roam the earth with
nothing but passports.” The key distinction there is the passports. In other
words, there is a process that is gone through to gain legal admission to the
country.

She also states that “it isn’t fair for Americans to come
and go as they please when others can’t do the same.” I think we would have a
non-issue here if the immigrants would “come and go.” Many are just coming. I
personally know many who work here and send much of their money back to Mexico.
That’s a great deal for Mexico. Use our resources (health care, schools, welfare)
and reap the rewards. According to the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction, it costs over $7,500 a year to educate a pupil in Sunnyside.
That’snearly $100,000 over the course of 13 years to educate a student in our
town. Schools educate all regardless of their immigration status.

As far as Mr. Hagensicker, I can’t speak for whether or not
he paid attention in history class (as noted by Mendez in her letter). I know I
do every day since I happen to teach the subject. Those of Mexican heritage
have every right to be proud. Do remember that his heritage includes the
Spanish. Do I see the protesters carrying Spanish flags? Have you forgotten
your heritage? Nancy’s relatives were uninvited conquerors, much the same as
“Steve’s relatives.”

As far as the “Native” Americans go, new evidence is
suggesting that they may not have been “native.” While much study on the
subject is still in progress, evidence suggests that Kennewick Man (one of the
oldest human skeletons found, pre-dating American Indians) is not a Native
American. He has been described as “caucasoid.” If this is true, I wonder if
the Native Americans attempted to learn his language.

This point is that the past is the past. No one is excusing
what the “white man” did to the American Indians, or what the Spaniards did to
their counterparts in the south. Today’s issues are different than those of 500
years ago.

We are a nation built on laws. If you don’t like them then
lobby to change them. Protest if you must, it is America and no one should stop
you from that right. Do not, however, expect those who have done everything the
right way to get here (my mom included) to give those who did not a nod and a
wink.

I welcome all to this country and Mexicans certainly are
included in that sentiment. Let’s make it so those arriving come in legally as
Steve’s and my ancestors did so no more people live in the shadows of society.

/s/ Troy Whittle, Sunnyside

Training dogs

In response to the shaggy dog column by Frances Potts in the
Friday, April 14, edition of the Daily Sun News, I realize her opinion piece
was written in a rather whimsical fashion, but she hit on some vital points
with regard to dog training.

If you ever watch Cesar Millan on the Dog Whisperer TV show,
you know that it’s people who need the training more than the dogs.

Ms. Potts mentioned Jan Manning’s training. She is very
explicit that she doe doesn’t teach dog obedience, she provides leadership
training for the owner. Most of the time, people are the reason for dogs
misbehaving because they aren’t giving their pets the type of the training,
exercise and discipline that they need. We’re great at giving affection but
lacking in providing their other, more important needs.

My dog also went through Manning’s dog training and, like
Ginger, also learned the curb command fairly quickly. I use it often but have
only used it once when I really needed it and it worked, stopped him in his
tracks when he was about to scamper off into traffic.

Manning’s offer of taking dogs back for unlimited refresher
trainings doesn’t mean that your dog is a poor student. It just means the owner
is serious about practicing leadership skills that will have to be enforced on
a daily basis for the rest of the pet’s life.

This doesn’t mean you threaten, abuse or intimidate your
dog, it just means you teach him who’s the leader and who’s the follower.
According to the Dog Whisperer, you do this in a calm, assertive way. This
doesn’t involve hitting or yelling, just simple corrections done consistently.

Next time you want to blame your dog for misbehavior, look
in the mirror. If you’re missing one of the big three—exercise, discipline,
affection—in that order, you may be the problem, not your dog.

/s/ Joe Meersman & Blitzen, Sunnyside

Student protesters

Last Friday, students from our local school district decided
to hold a protest on the immigration issue that has become such an issue to our
nation. My question is, do these students even know what they are protesting?

By deciding to march during school time and ignoring their
own education to help those who have decided to ignore the laws, who exactly
are they helping? You, the students, may want equal rights for all but do you
understand exactly what those rights and obligations are?

To be here and appreciate what is here you have to do it
legally. ?The old saying goes, you can’t get something for nothing, you have to
earn it.

Well, my grandparents and great-grandparents earned it,
learned it and appreciated it. They didn’t expect it to be handed to them on a
silver platter. If you want the silver platter, then you must work for it,
believe in it and do it the legal way, otherwise you, the younger generation,
will be left with nothing but a nation of wants and give-me’s.

I’m sorry, but we already have laws on the books and I say
follow the law or suffer the consequences. The word “illegal” is in the
dictionary. Maybe these students need to look it up and then decide if
disrupting a school day and our local law enforcement is in the best interest
of their issue.